The Black Legion

[1ncarnadine]

A Black Legion book featuring a bunch of Death Guard? 2017 sure is a blessed year for Nurgle. 

 

Also, is Daravek marked by two opposing gods? The Shifting Many possibly referring to Tzeentch? Interesting contradiction, if so. I guess that would make sense if he's a rival to Abaddon, who does eventually become marked by all of the gods.

[grailkeeper]

Really enjoyed that. I quite like that the nurglite member of the Ezekarion is thin- again a great  way of playing with stereotypes, he'll sit well with the world eater havoc. Also it reminds me of the grim reaper and the old fantasy special character Valnir

 

I still think that Thagus Davarek Isn't going to be the real rival for title of warmaster. Sevetar possibly but I've discussed that before. 

 

There were quite a few WoW references I spotted in there.

[A D-B]

There were quite a few WoW references I spotted in there.

 

As much as I love WoW, I tend to avoid references too often. And WoW is usually such a obvious IP that they're easy to avoid accidentally using.

 

For the record, I suspect there are many rivals to the title of Warmaster, over the years. It would certainly stand to reason, at least. Some would have a better shot than others, of course.

[Kelborn]

WoW references?

 

Only thing I found was the variation of Tichondrius. Can you name more, grailkeeper? Curious of what you've seen there. In order to avoid off topic posts, we can talk about this via pm. :)

 

But as A D-B already said, coincidence.

 

Really enjoyed the extract. So Nagual is yet another demon bound to Khayon?

I agree with grailkeeper that Davarek won't be the / a rival. An antagonist, yes, but if I'd have to guess, I'd say that he is the main antagonist in the first chapter of Black Legion. After his demise, Khayon returns to Abaddons' side, facing the real rivals. I can imagine that you got some aces left for us, A D-B. ;)

[Vesper]

Well Daravek seems like a major thorn in Abaddon's side if Khayon says the truth. He feels like the kind of antagonist who simply doesn't want to die.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being a nuisance for a fair part of the book while the second part Sigismund will take up this role.

[Draakur]

Perhaps we'll see him undone but not killed entirely, then popping up again later in the series?

[A D-B]

Well Daravek seems like a major thorn in Abaddon's side if Khayon says the truth. He feels like the kind of antagonist who simply doesn't want to die.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being a nuisance for a fair part of the book while the second part Sigismund will take up this role.

 

Indeeeeed. To cut and paste the book's blurb:

 

"Ezekyle Abaddon and his warlords strive to bind the newborn Black Legion together under threat of destruction. Now Khayon, as Abaddon's most-trusted assassin, is tasked with ending the threat of Thagus Daravek, the self-proclaimed Lord of Hosts - a rival to the Ezekyle's final fate. Fighting the vile whispers of the Dark Gods within his mind, Abaddon turns a fevered gaze back to the Imperium, where his destiny awaits. Yet the Emperor's Champion and his Black Templars stand guard at the gates of Hell, and Sigismund has waited centuries to face Abaddon in battle."

 

The blurb is pretty clear on the balance, so you're not a million miles off, Vesperino. It's very focused on the Black Legion and their ongoing issues in the Eye, of which the guardians at the gates of Hell are just one. I realise the hype is for Sigismund because he's famous, and the Templars are in it a fair bit for unsurprising reasons - they're the main obstacle out of the Eye, after all. Like a lot of the most detailed Chaos lore, the Imperium is most often the least of Chaos's problems. It's each other they need to worry about; a fact that isn't highlighted very often. And where Sigismund was concerned, I was focused on presenting him realistically and doing him justice. The book's not about him and Abaddon. Much like Talon, this series is Khayon's story, and how he navigates the events around him. Like how Gates of Fire features the Battle of Thermopylae as the second half of the novel, but it's not a book about Leonidas and Xerxes or just that Battle. It's a book about the build up towards it, how Xeones and Dienekes got there, who the Spartans were as a people, and how their culture worked.

 

(As it happens, half of my test readers understandably said Sigismund and Abaddon was their fave part of the book, the others liked certain moments of Chaos lore / Khayon and Nagual / Eye of Terror stuff, like in Talon. So God only knows how it'll go down.)

[Marshal Rohr]

I'm 100% positive both sections will be universally loved.

[Vesper]

And forgot to say I think Nagual is the new name of Gyre when it morphed from wolf to prosperine lynx.

 

Feels like Chariz Terenoch's feeling was right. And Khayon telling him to keep working without minding might be ADB keeping that perticular bit for Black Legion.

 

If that's the case, it's a clever way to show the changes in Khayon and how he managed to overcome his past.

 

That's going to be a great read.

[grailkeeper]

WoW references?

 

Only thing I found was the variation of Tichondrius. Can you name more, grailkeeper? Curious of what you've seen there. In order to avoid off topic posts, we can talk about this via pm.

 

But as A D-B already said, coincidence.

 

Really enjoyed the extract. So Nagual is yet another demon bound to Khayon?

I agree with grailkeeper that Davarek won't be the / a rival. An antagonist, yes, but if I'd have to guess, I'd say that he is the main antagonist in the first chapter of Black Legion. After his demise, Khayon returns to Abaddons' side, facing the real rivals. I can imagine that you got some aces left for us, A D-B.

 

 

Nah its not a major reference, just googled one of the names (Fella who shoots himself in the eye) and found a PC with that name, so I figured its ADBs or someone he knows/ Maybe its a coincide. Nothing to major or that would get the IP bods in a ruffle.

[aa.logan]

I've been refreshing the BL website half-hourly since Tuesday night.

 

Anyone have a clue when pre-orders will be up?

[Vesper]

12 of august.

[Knockagh]

It looks like either the whole pre order system is going on the bin or these are release dates and a preorder date will still happen but i think the regular 'schedule' of preorder dates has already passed for August. They must have considered that this book may never reach August without selling out which may have angered our passive and pleasant community! Bit annoying but personally I was never a fan of the pre order thing anyway, they get my money a month in advance, and I get to wait....if you got 10% off for pre order I could understand but this wasn't that. Either way I will still buy them, just take a month for it to catch up on itself.

[Knockagh]

Actually just read something on another forum. The book won't be available for pre order until a week prior to the official release date.... confirmed by our BL overlords

[Cleanse And Purify]

 

 

(As it happens, half of my test readers understandably said Sigismund and Abaddon was their fave part of the book, the others liked certain moments of Chaos lore / Khayon and Nagual / Eye of Terror stuff, like in Talon. So God only knows how it'll go down.)

I look forward to all of it, personally. But I would look forward to your liner notes scrawled on a paper towel, so perhaps there is some fanboyism going on. I mean, uh, shut up, or whatever >.>

 

While I'm pretty sure Abaddon kills Sigismund in this book (Siggy gotta die somehow at least), I'm at least hoping everyone's favorite Conan expy, Fafnir Rann, shows up and smacks Khayon in the thews with his axe, or something ;)

[Khornestar]

Just read the excerpt. So excited! I was pretty sure the book wasn't available for purchase yet, but I tapped the link at the end nonetheless... disappointed! :P

 

August 5 can't come fast enough.

[Balthamal]

Is it definitely the 5th now? Seeing as on the 12th I'll be in a car desperately eating through my mobile data refreshing the BL page since I'm pretty sure I won't be able to reserve it at WHW

[Master Ciaphas]

Yeah, I have the "Talon of Horus" in its gorgeous Limited Edition, and I would dearly like to have "Black Legion" in the same format as well! Talon is a fantastic novel; I suppose I had best re-read it before Black Legion is released...

 

So August 5th is the day that the pre-orders for the Limited Edition goes online, yes?

[Ranwulf]

Man, I know that Keeble is voicing many things for BL lately, but I seriously hope he voices Khayon. Talon of Horus and Prince of Crows are the audiobooks that made me love this form of media. 

 

I hope we get to hear his Khayon once more. 

 

Ran

[A D-B]

Man, I know that Keeble is voicing many things for BL lately, but I seriously hope he voices Khayon. Talon of Horus and Prince of Crows are the audiobooks that made me love this form of media. 

 

I hope we get to hear his Khayon once more. 

 

Ran

 

I've still not heard it, but it seems universally loved. So I hope he does it, too.

[Balthamal]

 

Man, I know that Keeble is voicing many things for BL lately, but I seriously hope he voices Khayon. Talon of Horus and Prince of Crows are the audiobooks that made me love this form of media. 

 

I hope we get to hear his Khayon once more. 

 

Ran

 

I've still not heard it, but it seems universally loved. So I hope he does it, too.

 

 

Can you confirm if it's the 5/12th for pre-order? Don't want to be driving up to WHW for the FW Open Day and having to refresh phone internet every 2 mins for it whilst also not missing out on it since I've got something of a legendary idea for the selfie contest this time around

[Khornflakes]

Man, I know that Keeble is voicing many things for BL lately, but I seriously hope he voices Khayon. Talon of Horus and Prince of Crows are the audiobooks that made me love this form of media. 

 

I hope we get to hear his Khayon once more. 

 

Ran

 

The Talon of Horus audio is quality. I used to have an hour or so's walk to work and listening to this (and Helsreach) made the walk that much more enjoyable. 

[Mellow]

I think it's a great idea that although most people would assume the book is about Abaddon it actually isn't. It keeps the mystery over the main characters when they don't feature in every scene.

[Robster The Lobster]

Let me tell you at story about the time Talon of Horus had it´s pre order open up. I was at work, knowing that I was going to buy said book in it´s first edition form. I even said to my boss,

 

"Hey, ´i´m going to take a later lunch, or I´m going to schedule a toilet break around that time"

 

So when I had my lunch, I went on to Black library´s site, put the book in my basket, and went on to fill in my card number, put here´s to kicker. My app which I have to use to confirm that I really want to pay for said item was down. So naive as I was, I thought that I could order said book after work.

 

That didn´t work out!

 

If that happens this time around, you will hear my manly nerd sobbing around the world.

 

On a story related subject,, I actually look forward to the dialog when Abaddon decides to tell Khayon about drach'nyen. And Khayon´s know it all arrogance that will probably follow.

[A D-B]

Let me tell you at story about the time Talon of Horus had it´s pre order open up. I was at work, knowing that I was going to buy said book in it´s first edition form. I even said to my boss,

 

"Hey, ´i´m going to take a later lunch, or I´m going to schedule a toilet break around that time"

 

So when I had my lunch, I went on to Black library´s site, put the book in my basket, and went on to fill in my card number, put here´s to kicker. My app which I have to use to confirm that I really want to pay for said item was down. So naive as I was, I thought that I could order said book after work.

 

That didn´t work out!

 

If that happens this time around, you will here my manly nerd sobbing around the world.

 

On a story related subject,, I actually look forward to the dialog when Abaddon decides to tell Khayon about drach'nyen. And Khayon´s know it all arrogance that will probably follow.

 

I'm kinda shamefully looking forward to that, too. I've said in a couple of interviews already that the Ezekarion will be split on the notion of Drach'nyen, but that Khayon's not likely to buy into much of the daemon sword's hype. I think one of the phrases in the last interview was "He probably doesn't think getting Drach'nyen is an A+ idea."